Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono, both Hawai'i Democrats, introduced the bill in January.

"This legislation is long overdue as Native Hawaiians are the only indigenous group in the United States lacking federal recognition," Hirono said today. "Passage will promote Hawaiian pride and accountability."

Hirono said the bill — known as the Akaka bill due to Sen. Daniel Akaka's sponsorship and ongoing effort to rally support for it — does not threaten the constitutional, civil and property rights of any Hawai'i citizen, as some critics have charged.

"The Akaka bill will also provide a legal shield against the blizzard of lawsuits filed by those groups intent on stopping all programs that assist Native Hawaiians," she said.

Abercrombie, a committee member, said in January that the bill gives the Native Hawaiian community the tools to guide its own destiny and manage assets, such as land and resources, set aside for it by law.

"Native Hawaiians deserve a seat at the table and a direct voice on issues critical to their well-being and cultural identity," he said.

The House committee, which has not held a hearing on the bill this year, and the full chamber has approved the bill in the past only to see it stymied in the Senate.

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, D-N.D., has scheduled a Thursday hearing on an identical bill and could bring it up for a committee vote soon after.